Author of the Alchemancer and Assassin Without a Name fantasy series

Rating

Review

Krampus by Brom celebrates the mythology and folklore surrounding the pagan figure of Krampus, the Yule Lord, in a novel that is part fantasy, part horror, and part holiday treat. I went into this one with neither the highest expectations nor the foggiest idea what direction the story might take. Though the beginning is a tad shaky, as we are introduced to the main character Jesse, once the disparate pieces start falling into place I was pleasantly surprised to find a wide array of characters with rich personalities and motives and a story that portrays Krampus as everything one would expect: he is both good and terrible, with qualities that make him, in many cases, as human as you or I.

Though the legend of Krampus cuts across different cultures and takes many forms as a result, Brom selects a decidedly Norse leaning interpretation of the horned creature. Those familiar with Norse mythology will encounter many familiar personas (some directly and others by reference): there’s Odin, Loki, Hel, Geri, Freki, Huginn, Muninn, and others. Krampus’s acolytes are referred to as Belsnickels, which is not Norse in origin but German, brought over by early immigrants to America from that country. Then there’s the Christian influence, the followers of which instantly see Krampus as none other than Satan himself. Krampus is a seven foot tall demon with curved horns sprouting from his head, so can’t really blame them.

The story of Krampus is this: Santa Claus imprisoned Krampus hundreds of years ago and, as a result, Yule and its traditions have been forgotten. Krampus himself is wasted away, a sad shadow of his former self. But he still yearns to return to the world to spread his own particular form of holiday cheer. His Belsnickels, or servants, carry out his will, slowly setting the stage for the Yule Lord’s escape and the fruition of Krampus’s dream: to kill Santa Claus and to then remind the world that Krampus was here first.

While there are elements of horror in Krampus, this is not solely a horror novel. There are some gruesome deaths, but there are also many fantastical elements, such as Santa’s flying sled, reindeer, and his sack, which he stole from Krampus long ago and which can produce nearly anything one desires as long as the user is of Loki’s bloodline.

What struck me the most about Krampus is the characters. Jesse is a loser looking for his way in life while trying to win back his estranged wife and daughter (very cliché, I know, but he kind of grows on you). Some of the baddies, including the General and Chief Dillard, are mostly just bad with no motive other than that. But the Belsnickels and Krampus himself felt very real to me. Each Belsnickel was “recruited” at different times and under different circumstances. One is near a hundred years old (Belsnickels do not age since they have the blood of Krampus flowing through their veins) and another, Isabel, a girl of about twenty, has been that age for going on forty years. Wipi, Nipi, and Makwa want nothing more than to serve their lord. Vernon would prefer the Yule Lord keel over and die; he does little to hide these feelings, too, which presented some laugh out loud moments for me. Isabel, Krampus’s “little lion,” is the little sister archetype. She left behind a newborn child in her previous life and she longs to return to that life to undo some mistakes she made, but she’s also terrified of facing those failures and of being rejected by her now grown child. Even Krampus, who is both good and terrible, has his own inner struggles as he tries to cope with the fact that the world has moved on without him. It’s not until the end that Krampus rediscovers himself entirely:

Jesse had never seen this side of the Yule Lord, and it occurred to him that he was seeing the real Krampus, the Krampus of ancient times, the great and wild Yule spirit that galvanized mankind to brave the darkest primeval nights, kindled their will to survive the trials of the harshest winters. He could almost see the horned beast dancing this very jig within the communal houses of primitive man. Jesse saw the way the people fed on Krampus’s spirit, and how, in turn, Krampus fed on theirs. And understood now just why those shoes, with their small tribute of candies, meant so much to the Yule Lord. That what Krampus needed more than anything was a flock to shepherd, to protect and inspire.

Krampus is as much a story about the traditions of Christmas and Yule as it is a tale of discovery. Krampus steals the show in many scenes, but the supporting characters have stories of their own that I found intriguing and fun to follow along. Krampus is an alternate classic for the holidays which I could see myself reading again and again.

Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien is a charming collection of the letters Mr. Tolkien wrote to his children each year for Christmas as they were growing up. Each story is told from the perspective of Father Christmas himself, but there are other characters that sometimes take the spotlight and write to the children, including most notably a polar bear who seems to find himself in a bit of trouble with Father Christmas from time to time and has his own adventures worth sharing with Tolkien’s children.

The letters are actually meticulously crafted demonstrations of art and calligraphy. While the former seems intended for a young audience, with dancing bears and a variety of colors, the typography is something to behold all by itself. When one considers the same meticulousness that went into certain other works of the author, it’s no wonder he put such thought and care into the lettering of these whimsical narrations.

One recommendation: If you buy the Kindle edition of this book, do yourself a favor and read it on a color device such as a Fire tablet or iPad. A black and white, E Ink Kindle does not do the art, colors, and typography justice, and that’s what you’ll want to see most here. The stories told in each letter are charming in their own right, but they’re not the main attraction (though they do provide some amusement).

Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien is a fun, almost nostalgic-like glimpse into the lives of the Tolkiens. It’s the sort of book one can share with the children each and every year much like Mr. Tolkien did with his own children. I’m giving it a solid three rockets and hope you enjoy it.

Rating

Review

A Lot Like Christmas by Connie Willis is a collection of holiday themed short stories and novellas, each with a distinct fantasy or science fiction flavor. The collection is quite lengthy—it comes in at 545 pages—but because this is a collection and not a novel, many of the stories can be finished in a single sitting. While the overall theme of all the stories is, of course, Christmas, many of the stories focus in on a more granular aspect of the holiday season: Miracle is all about the tradition (and sometimes ridiculousness) of gift-giving; All About Emily mixes in artificial intelligence and the spirit of giving and self-sacrifice; and deck.halls@boughs/holly explores the future of commercialized holiday decorating. Other stories delve into holiday music and what happens when new Christmas movies are released into all-new “mega-theaters.” A Lot Like Christmas covers a lot of holiday ground and, for the most part, does not disappoint.

Willis’s writing style is fairly straightforward. Her prose is concise and informative, with nothing superfluous or, on the opposite side of the scale, inadequate or distracting. The characters are a mixed bunch when it comes to personality and motives, but all with the exception of one or two are relatable, likeable, and even endearing. Where this collection really shines is in the content of the stories themselves. Willis has a deep knowledge of Christmas, which she displays in many of the stories in the form of miniscule details or through the sheer breadth of her knowledge. For example, All Seated on the Ground is a journey through decades of holiday music, with nuanced references to particular passages that relate directly to the story. As for the science fiction angle, you’ll encounter aliens; Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come; advanced Christmas decorating technology; and even the biblical parents who risked everything for their unborn child.

While Willis’s holiday knowledge—or at least her ability to research—is impressive, there are times when the magnitude of details piled onto the reader almost becomes a burden and the stories themselves far too long. All Seated on the Ground is, again, a good example. Apart from all other stories in the collection, this one struck me as far too long with an ending which is not very satisfying. At times, it seemed Willis was extending the narrative simply to justify the amount of time she must have spent sifting through holiday verses.

One of the more enjoyable stories was Cat’s Paw, which is a mystery in the spirit of a Hercule Poirot novel. A visit to a country estate where apes and other primates have been given the ability to speak soon turns into a whodunnit murder mystery where it seems everyone in attendance has some motive. Good thing the renowned Inspector Touffet is on the guest list. Soon the game is afoot and a murderer revealed, but only after much intrigue and a series of misdirections lead everyone but Touffet down the wrong path.

If you’re looking for something beyond the traditional Dickens to read this holiday season, A Lot Like Christmas may fit the bill for you. Despite a couple of the stories feeling like duds to me, I’m giving it four rockets because there are many more stories I enjoyed than not, and even a few which stand out as holiday gems that I’d love to read each and every year.

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